Definitions

used in 蚍蜉[pí fú]; used in 蜉蝣[fú yóu]

Etymology phono-semantic

insect

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "蜉" exists almost exclusively in the compound "蜉蝣", referring to the mayfly, and its history is tied to this term. Its structure consists of the insect radical 虫 combined with the component 孚, which primarily serves a phonetic function. The character has maintained this form, with no distinction between a traditional and simplified version, and its meaning has remained specifically zoological, denoting the short-lived insect without developing other independent semantic uses.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern